Asleep in the Sky, and Other Spice Cream One-Shots
by MusingsFromMars
Summary: Cinder and Neo are on their way to Atlas to carry out their ultimate plan for revenge on Ruby. Of course, the journey isn't without it's obstacles. This short series of one shots will follow the duo on their journey as they inadvertently discover more and more about one another as they work together to escape trouble.
1. Asleep in the Sky

Neo was rather satisfied with the level of success she and her confidante had enjoyed lately. They had managed to commandeer a Mistral airship, learn of Ruby Rose's probable location, and even spare enough time to steal some new outfits. There were only two problems at the moment: Mistral airships being slow as fuck, and Cinder being difficult about there being only one bed in the pilot's quarters.

Neo had to admit to herself that if this Cinder woman was anything, she was _gorgeous._ One thing annoying about her, though, was that Cinder _knew _she was gorgeous, and then some. She was the exact opposite of humble, and it was getting on Neo's nerves.

"You cannot honestly expect me to sleep on anything but a proper bed, especially not something like...this," Cinder said, gesturing with her normal arm at the small, unimpressive mattress before them. It was lined with plain light blue sheets, with a white pillow adorning the head of the cot. Cinder turned to Neo, her eye glaring at her. "Can't you create something more suitable?"

Neo sighed and shook her head, hoping Cinder would get the hint. She was perfectly capable of doing something like that, but suspending such an illusion for an entire night was physically impossible for her.

Cinder scoffed and crossed her arms under her shawl, a displeased grimace on her face. "Well, what are we supposed to do then?"

Neo looked at Cinder in the face for a good five seconds, then held up her index fingers, gesturing one toward Cinder and the other to herself, then brought the two index fingers together, gesturing them both toward the bed. It was her way to communicating what she thought was obvious: they would just share the bed.

The Fall Maiden leaned away, shaking her head. "Neo, you can see this thing, right? There's very little room for one person, let alone two."

Neo shrugged, pointing at herself, then gesturing her hands in a narrowing manner. Neo, of course, was small.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of your short stature, but my point still stands. We need to come up with another idea."

Neo was not surprised with Cinder's response. She wished Cinder knew sign language, because if she could, Neo would give her quite the piece of her mind. Instead, Neo did her best to convey her point: Cinder would either sleep in this bed with her, or sleep on the ground. She pointed at the bed, then at the floor, and signed "which."

"Neo," Cinder said, sternly. "I would rather stay up all night than sleep on the floor."

Neo grinned and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her. "You choose this one, then?" She asked, hands moving at their normal signing speed.

Cinder put her hand to her face and sighed. "Fine. You win. Just...if you so much as breathe on me, I will burn you to a crisp."

Neo held her arms close to her chest and faked shivering in fear, then blew a raspberry as she stood back up. "Going to the bathroom," she signed.

Cinder glared at her as Neo left the room, heading toward the back of the airship to find the lavatory. Only then did the thought of sleep attire cross Neo's mind. She did not expect sleeping in white jeans and a caped corset to be very comfortable. She was not sure whether to feel amused or concerned about the fact that she'd have to strip to her underwear if she wanted a chance at sleeping comfortably. It would likely bother Cinder, and that would either be funny or even more annoying, depending on the woman's reaction.

The last thing Neo expected when she returned from the bathroom was to see Cinder beating her to the punch. Neo rounded the corner and entered the small room, only to find Cinder with her shawl and top removed. She still wore her black shorts and halter top.

Her scars and Grimm arm were on full display.

Cinder looked at Neo. "Wanna sleep to my right, so you can stay away from this?" She asked, raising her Grimm arm.

Neo was not prepared to be confronted with this sight. Cinder was a woman of great power and strength, but now, Neo saw the remains of the consequences for Cinder's pursuits of power. The flesh all along her left side, from her face to her neck and down the side of her torso was calloused, inflamed, and red. Neo noticed that Cinder's top seemed specially modified. Unlike on the right side where Cinder's bra wrapped around her back with a wide black strap, two thin white straps were all that went over her left, perhaps to minimize irritation.

Cinder's demeanor had noticeably changed, too. She sat on the bed, hunched forward, a bitter glint in her eye. The black-as-night arm that hung to her side was unnaturally long and thin.

"Thanks for staring," Cinder groused, looking to the side.

Neo felt a sudden pang of guilt as she snapped her gaze away, raising her hands up to show she was sorry. Still, should could not shake the odd feeling of seeing how...different Cinder seemed. It was as if revealing her scars had changed her entire personality from being so headstrong and commanding to being...almost broken, despondent, and exhausted.

Cinder scoffed and got to her feet. She walked past Neo, leaving the room. "Get in bed if you want. I need time alone."

Cinder had requested "time alone" three times that day. Neo never knew why she always needed to leave and stand in an empty alley or distant table in a bar, but now she knew. Everything that had happened to her weighed heavily on her, and Cinder had no one but herself to understand.

Neo got the urge to follow her, but figured she couldn't help, especially since Cinder wouldn't be able to understand her, anyway. Instead, Neo turned back to the bed, noticing the pile of clothing left behind by Cinder just beside it. Neo leaned down to move it aside, then sat on the bed. It wasn't very soft, but Neo had slept on worse. She stared at the wall for a moment, unable to move her thoughts away from seeing Cinder's scars. Neo always had this impression of Cinder that she was an untouchable mastermind, but now she knew that even one of the most powerful beings in Remnant was subject to her haunting past.

Neo brought herself to start removing her clothes, beginning to realize how tired she felt. She took off her gloves and boots first, tossing them into their own pile beside Cinder's clothes. Neo thought for a moment weather she should still bother with taking the rest off, but she knew she'd either get no sleep or would lie awake for hours until finally taking the rest of her clothes off anyway. Sure, it felt odd and a little intimidating to think about the fact that she'd be sharing a small bed with an equally undressed Cinder, but there weren't any other inviting alternatives. She unbuttoned her corset and pushed off her jeans, revealing her black bra and underwear ensemble. She once again considered checking on Cinder, but instead chose to do as Cinder had said and get into the bed. Whether Cinder ever did get in bed or if she stayed up all night was her decision. Neo wouldn't press her anymore.

* * *

Cinder eventually did come to bed, just as Neo was beginning to fall asleep. The short girl had the sheets pulled over her shoulder, her back facing the door as she began to dose, but the sound of the door opening and shutting jolted her back to full consciousness. Neo flinched and rolled to the side to see Cinder standing by the bed, arms crossed. "Move over," she murmured to her.

Neo did as she requested, moving to the side and almost tilting over the edge as the Maiden sat on the bed's other edge. Cinder lifted the sheets up enough to maneuver herself beneath them, then lied down on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She didn't rest her head on the lone pillow, the one Neo had her own cradled in. Instead she just lied there, sheets tucked under her arms, her hands folded together and resting on her abdomen. She looked like a body positioned in a casket.

Neo looked away from her for a moment, then lifted her head off the pillow and pushed it toward Cinder enough for it to touch the side of the woman's head.

Cinder's head turned away from Neo. "Keep your pillow. I'll be just fine."

Neo sighed and shoved the pillow a bit further, insisting Cinder take it. Neo knew she would not be able to sleep knowing Cinder would be lying next to her wide awake.

"Neo, just sleep," Cinder commanded.

Neo stopped pushing the pillow, resigning to Cinder's refusal of her attempt at kindness. Neo pulled the pillow back under her own head and rolled back toward the wall, hoping to quickly return to her impending slumber. She acknowledged the newfound feeling of warmth in the bed now that Cinder had joined her, but Neo made an effort to not move much from then forward, knowing even the smallest roll backwards would bring her into contact with Cinder. Neo knew she would have to make do with the mildly uncomfortable situation, knowing Cinder was likely wide awake and would remain that way for who knew how long. The best Neo could hope for was to fall asleep soon so she could stop worrying.

And soon enough, she did.

* * *

Neo soon woke up...via being shoved out of bed.

She hit the ground with a thud, and she immediately pushed herself to her feet, instinctively readying herself to fight, but when she saw Cinder on the bed, sat straight up, her eye wide open and her breathing rapid, Neo knew what had happened.

Fiery light poured from her eye, but just as quickly as she had sprung upright, Cinder relaxed, her shoulder's lowering and the light from her eye disappearing. She sat there for a few seconds, motionless. Neo wasn't sure what to do in that moment, but when Cinder finally did move, Neo was at an even greater loss.

Cinder's head bowed forward as she laced her fingers through her hair, and to Neo's shock, she began to cry. Cinder gritted her teeth, her eyebrow slanted inward as she sobbed. Neo wasn't certain if Cinder was angry or what. The only thing she was sure of was how much she wanted to get out of there. Neo had never seen Cinder at her angriest, and she was not interested in finding out what she was like.

However, as Cinder continued to cry, her posture became less and less threatening as the woman placed her hand over her other eye, the scarred-over eye covered by her eye patch. "It..." she croaked. "It hurts when I cry."

Neo stood frozen to her spot without a clue of what to do. Was Cinder...confiding her pain to Neo? Why? Did she think Neo could help, because if so, Cinder must have been desperate. Nevertheless, Neo did her best to calm down from her fight-or-flight response, as well as recover from suddenly falling out of bed. She realized that her elbow was bruised, but beyond that, she was fine.

Cinder inhaled audibly. "Sorry for pushing you."

Neo slowly sat down on the bed, not looking directly at Cinder. Hearing her cry was surreal. Everything about this was surreal. Cinder's crying, Neo getting shoved out of bed when she was sleeping as deeply as she possibly could, not to mention them both being in their underwear, all was a wild combination that almost felt like a dream.

Neo reached out and tapped Cinder on the shoulder, garnering her attention. Neo signed "dream" on the off-chance Cinder would understand.

Cinder stared at her for a moment, her eye red from her tears. She then nodded, closing her eye. "Yeah. Just a nightmare. Happens often, not really a concern."

Neo pointedly glanced back to the spot beside the bed where she had fallen, part of the sheets still on the ground. Neo gestured in that direction, and Cinder seemed to understand. "Right," she said. "I don't usually wake up from them like that."

With the knowledge of the fact that Cinder had frequent night terrors like this, Neo confirmed her suspicions. Cinder had not and likely would not ever recover from the Fall of Beacon. She was now Fall Maiden, but it came at a terrible cost. Now the only thing that motivated her was her pursuit of vengeance on Ruby Rose, and Neo knew even if they managed to kill the Silver Eyed Girl, peace would still evade Cinder.

Neo felt she could do nothing else but hug her.

"The hell are you doing?" Cinder asked, her voice raspy, refusing to return the embrace in any way but not making an effort to avoid it.

Neo had her arms around Cinder's shoulders, her cheek mere inches from Cinder's face. Neo faintly acknowledged how odd this was, but her combination of drowsiness and concern prevented herself from feeling any sort of embarrassment.

Neo didn't have many methods of effectively communicating with Cinder, but this was the best she could do to let her know that she had someone. Even if Neo didn't know her well, even if she didn't one-hundred-percent trust her, Neo felt Cinder needed some human contact. Also, maybe Neo just wanted to be close to such an attractive woman.

"Are you going to let go?" Cinder asked, quieter than before, but still sounding unimpacted.

Neo squeezed her a bit as a way of saying she had no plans to release the hug soon. Cinder's words were obviously not indicative of her desires. Deep down, Cinder needed this.

After a long silence, Cinder sighed, groaned, and wrapped her arms around Neo, leaning her head against her shoulder. "This means nothing," she claimed.

Neo smiled slightly at Cinder still trying to maintain her guise of aloofness. It was very obvious that this meant a lot to her. Cinder likely never allowed such affection like this, but in the aftermath of a nightmare, she was finally getting what she had been unconsciously wanting.

The two of them lied back down and got under the covers, all while maintaining their embrace. Neo had been up against Cinder long enough to move past the initial shock of getting to hug her and now began to notice the details of the feeling. Neo had her arms hooked around Cinder's neck, hand resting on her scarred shoulder. The unburned flesh on Cinder's right side was soft and smelled faintly of ash and Fire Dust. Neo had a very close view of Cinder's neck and upper chest as she rested her cheek partially on Cinder's shoulder.

Neo had to admit to herself that she had never felt emotions like this before. Being in the arms of a beautiful woman was an experience she regretted never having before. She knew Cinder was far from trustworthy, but she was attractive, strong, and, as Neo now realized, sensitive, at least about herself.

Neo would never want to be in a long-term relationship with Cinder, nor did she ever plan to, but if she got this chance to be with her now, to comfort her, and initiate so much close contact bordering on romantic intimacy, Neo wasn't going to pass it up.

Cinder obviously was not falling asleep, because she squirmed in her spot every minute or so. After a while, she spoke up again. "Neo."

Neo nodded a bit in acknowledgment.

"As I said, this means nothing," she repeated, though saying so twice made it all the more obvious this meant a lot to her. "This is not something I will usually allow."

Neo's breath hitched, waiting for her to continue. She nodded again for good measure.

Cinder sighed. "Neo..." She turned her head away for a moment before turning back. "Come closer to me."

Neo blinked several times before understanding Cinder's request. How much closer could Neo get? Their only points of contact were her arms around Cinder's neck and her face resting on her shoulder. Neo felt under the impression that anymore than that would be too far for Cinder, and yet, the woman was requesting it, or...ordering it. Neo had noticed that Cinder never asked questions, opting to just _tell _Neo what to do, but Neo wasn't going to confront her on it, at least not right now. Neo was too busy trying to keep her excitement from boiling over.

"Well?" Cinder murmured. For the first time, Neo realized that Cinder had her arm behind her, and she felt it against her back, gingerly pulling her towards her.

Neo nodding again, letting her know that she was getting to it. She had calmed down just enough to actually move forward instead of freezing in anticipation. Neo moved herself closer, moving her arm down to around Cinder's abdomen, allowing herself to enjoy feeling the soft firmness of the woman's stomach. Her own chest and abdomen settled against Cinder's side, their legs interlacing with one another.

Cinder was not subtle about her need for Neo's comfort. Now that she was closer, Cinder could wrap her arms completely around Neo, bringing the shorter girl close enough to tuck her nose into the Fall Maiden's neck. Neo gritted her teeth, for Cinder's Grimm arm was touching her, the thin, skeletal-esque appendage resting on her waist. It did not feel particularly different than Cinder's right arm which was tucked around her neck, except how the outermost layer of..._skin _seemed to not be completely solid. When Cinder would move slightly and lift her Grimm arm up for a half-second, it left behind a cold feeling where it once rested on Neo's skin, like it was sapping her body heat from that spot. It was unnerving at first, but Neo came around to realize that this was what Cinder had to make do with. If Cinder wanted to touch her, she would have to use this arm. After a while, Neo accepted the feeling. It still felt strange, but Cinder was breathing calmly now. It seemed this close contact was helping.

It was doing wonders for Neo, too.

As much as Neo enjoyed getting to work independently like she had for the past few months, traversing the Kingdoms and making her own living, she now realized how good it felt to be with someone. Of course, she had never done anything like this with Roman (who was the type who hated any type of contact), but Neo had been in a relationship here and there. She had not experienced anything to this extent, though, with such a lack of clothing and such a high level of intimacy. Neo would never have predicted this ever happening when she first shook hands with this woman, but she couldn't have predicted Cinder's inner trauma coming out the way it did, either.

If Neo slowed down and cleared her thoughts, she knew one thing for certain: She felt very strongly about comforting Cinder. She wanted her to feel better, and Neo seemed to be helping that fact, if the occasional tug at her waist was any indication.

Neo began to feel her drowsiness set back in once again, but Cinder did not allow her to fall asleep. Instead, the Fall Maiden shifted her position to look at Neo. Neo's head fell to the pillow as she looked up at Cinder's face. Cinder's eye was misty with tiredness, her mouth slightly open. Her hair covered more than half of her face. "How would you feel if..." Cinder started, but her voice trailed off, uncertainty evident in her expression as she looked to the side, avoiding Neo's gaze.

Neo stared up at her, noticing the way her lips moved as Cinder pressed them together. It was then that Neo first thought about what a kiss from Cinder would feel like. Neo quickly decided that she would definitely move closer and give her a kiss if she asked for one. As much as Neo was doing this for Cinder's good, she was just as interested in her own self serving. Cinder was a beautiful woman with gorgeous features despite her injuries. If Neo was granted further consent to anything more, she would take the opportunity, because just as Cinder had said earlier, she would not do this often.

"I'm not going to get much sleep," Cinder said, utmost certainty in her voice. "If any at all, so...I'd rather spend my time awake enjoying...your company, so to speak."

Neo silently chuckled at Cinder's words. It was oddly cute how Cinder was trying to sound formal, though the fact she was not thinking about Neo's desire sleep was reminiscent of Cinder's self centered nature. Neo could look past that, of course. Neo suspected sleeping would pale in comparison to what was ahead.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Cinder asked.

Neo nodded, moving her hand from Cinder's stomach to her upper chest, resting it over her heart. A small voice in Neo's head told her to move her hand a bit lower, but she fought that urge away, opting to let the flow of the moment dictate her next move.

As it turned out, Neo wasn't the one to make the next move. Cinder's grip on Neo's waist tightened at she pulled her a bit closer, bringing her eyes to meet Cinder's lone uncovered ember of an iris. Neo's mouth opened a bit, feeling the taller girl's breath on her face as their noses came close to touching. For once, Cinder's expression did not display her usual smug certainty or displeased sneer. Her facial features were lax, her eyelid drifting as the mood between the two began to float, their common restraint and stoicism beginning to take a back seat to their desire to reap comfort from their closeness.

The thought of kissing her once again crossed Neo's mind, but before she could think further on that, or anything for that matter, Cinder had tugged her a bit more to close the distance between them. First, their lips came together, followed by their chests, then waists, then legs. They held each other close like lovers, even if this kiss held no meaning beyond both women wanting to kiss the other.

Neo had never thought of her short stature as a disadvantage, especially in a situation like this. She was more than happy to allow Cinder to move her closer and lift her a bit so she could maneuver her arm under her. Neo felt herself smile a bit as their kiss continued, the soft need behind Cinder's lips both amusing and enthralling. Neo boldly brought her arm back down to Cinder's torso, this time resting on her hip and moving its way down, grazing over Cinder's shorts before reaching her bare leg.

Neo had somehow allowed her attention to drift from Cinder's kiss, instead focusing on the Maiden's body, how it felt under her hands, how warm it made her feel. Neo was beginning to feel even more bold, and had she acted a bit sooner, she would have acted on that bravery.

An alarm interrupted proceedings.

Both women flinched and rolled away from one another, looking around to see the red light in the ceiling pulsing with the alarm. They looked back at each other, their weariness fading to full consciousness, and Cinder put a hand to her face and sighed. "Of course," she murmured. "Nothing ever comes easy."

_To be continued..._


	2. Emergency Landing

_Fuel Dangerously Low. System Failure Eminent._

Cinder and Neo stared at the message on the dash in the cockpit. Cinder looked at Neo and scoffed. "I thought you said the fuel tanks were full."

Neo shrugged, distinctly remembering the fact the the fuel gauge had been almost full when she first boarded the ship. Now, alarms were going off, and apparently the ship was on the verge of plummeting into the ocean.

"Well, you're the pilot. Do something," Cinder commanded.

Neo sighed and nodded, sitting down in the pilot's seat and punching some buttons near the dash screen to bring up a map of their vicinity. It indicated there was nothing but blue expanse around them, except...

Neo gasped and pointed at the screen so Cinder would look. Not far from their current trajectory was a small island, just a few pixels wide on the screen. Whether it was inhabited or nothing but a knoll of sand, it would be their best bet at landing the ship before completely running out of fuel.

"Can we make it?" Cinder asked.

Neo nodded with confidence, even though she wasn't completely certain. If they had lost enough fuel to get them to Atlas in such a short amount of time, there must have been a leak of some sort. For all Neo knew, they could run out in the next ten seconds. Whatever fate awaited them, Neo did her best to direct the ship in the direction of the island.

The alarm continued to blare as Neo switched off the auto-pilot and began to manually maneuver the aircraft. They were surrounded by clouds, only getting sporadic glimpses at the ocean below through gaps in the whiteness. Cinder stumbled and decided to take a seat in the copilot's seat, buckling her seatbelt.

Neo gritted her teeth in frustration before waving her arm to get Cinder's attention. Neo gestured at the clouds surrounding them, and Cinder got the message. She looked out the windshield at the clouds and began to focus. Fiery light emanated from her eye as she extended her hand outward, willing the air outside the ship to push the clouds away. Sure enough, a burst of turbulence shook the airship, and all of the clouds obstructing their view were gone.

The island was in sight.

Neo adjusted the ship's direction to begin heading straight for the green dot in the distance, while Cinder watched on in desperate hope. The alarm continued as the island came closer, Neo focusing intently on keeping the airship's trajectory straight. She could almost feel time running out. Soon, they would have no more fuel.

That moment came much sooner than expected.

Abrupt silence. The alarm stopped, the rumble of the engine dying. They were no longer flying. They were falling.

Cinder yelled in shock. "No...how?"

Neo released the controls, her hands hovering over them in dismay, unsure what to do. She blinked and looked at Cinder, a lost look in her eyes.

Cinder shook her head, but then gasped, an idea popping into her mind. "I can save us," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and standing to her feet.

Neo watched the half-dressed woman plant her feet firmly to the ground as the airship began to stop gliding and begin falling. Whatever Cinder was planning, she would have to do it quick before they began to nosedive.

Cinder sighed, the Maiden light in her eye returning. "Neo...if we don't make it..." She then shook her head. "Screw it. We're going to make it." She extended her arms to the sides, and the airship began to shudder and creak, then...they stopped falling. They began to glide once again.

Neo stood from her seat and ran to the windshield, pressing her forehead against it to see the trails of wind gusts pushing the ship up. Cinder was somehow using her magic to keep the entire thing in the air.

The island was getting closer.

Cinder grunted, clenching her fists while still keeping her arms extended to the sides. Sweat was breaking out all over her exposed skin. "N...Neo...I can get us there, but...brace for it."

Neo looked away from the outside and back at Cinder, noticing the state of struggle she was in. She nodded and signed "thank you," then returned to her seat and buckled herself in.

A rough landing awaited them.

Cinder's sounds of exertion became more frequent as they began to descend on the island, gasping and groaning as her body trembled. Sweat was now dripping from her chin and elbow, as they were now mere seconds from landing.

Neo gritted her teeth as they approached the island. She reached her arm out to cinder and hooked her hand under her waistband, just in case she needed to keep her from falling over. The island now filled their view, and too Neo's surprise, they were approaching what looked like concrete.

Cinder began to scream as she attempted to slow their descent, and Neo was astonished when, just as they were about to make impact with the ground, the ship hovered for a split second, then dropped to the ground and settled on the concrete. They were on the ground, safe.

Cinder fell to her knees and immediately began to sob. "D-...Dammit..."

Now that they had landed, Neo undid her seatbelt and went straight to Cinder's side, dropping to her knees and hugging her tight. Cinder's skin was damp with sweat, and it seemed every muscle in her body was trembling.

Cinder gasped loudly. "N-Ne-...Neo..." She fell sideways into Neo's arms, resting her head on the girl's chest. She went completely limp, her arms draped on the ground.

Neo held her gently and began to feel tears in her own eyes. Cinder had saved them. She put herself through the worst strain on her body imaginable to get them to safety. Neo knew Cinder was saving herself as much as she had been saving her, but that didn't take away from the thankfulness she felt for this woman.

Cinder's breathing began to quiet and become more controlled, but she still continued to cry. "Neo..." She murmured. She tried to lift her hand towards the girl who was holding her, but she wasn't able to keep it up, instead allowing it to fall back to the ground. Her heart beat was audible to Neo, and it was rapid beyond description.

Neo shifted her position and allowed Cinder to lie down, Neo gently lowering her to ground. Cinder's hair was stuck to her forehead with sweat, tears turning her eye red as she looked back up at her. "I'm..." She grunted. "I'm so tired..."

Neo nodded and pushed Cinder's hair off her forehead, then leaning down and kissing her lightly on the lips. When Neo sat back up, Cinder had closed her eyes. She soon fell asleep.

Neo squeezed her hand and checked her pulse. Cinder's heart rate was back to a steady pace, if not a bit heavy. Neo figured she would be okay, if not a bit sore after taking a nap on the metal floor.

She thought about staying by her side until she woke back up, but she figured it best to check out their surroundings, and see what the hell was wrong with the fuel tank. She stood to her feet and, after sparing one more glance down at Cinder, made her way towards the exit.

She had to manually slide open the automatic door, since the ship was out of power, which took several heaves just for enough space to squeeze herself through. Once she was outside the ship, she took in her surroundings. The sun had almost finished emerging from the horizon as she looked. She hadn't thought about her state of undress until after exposing herself to the outside, but she quickly realized there was no one to see her. At least, probably.

They had landed in the middle of a concrete lot. Maybe a kilometer away were what looked like four aircraft hangars, except one of them was missing a door, while another only had half a door attached while the other half hung on partically by a single hinge. Neo figured this was once a military base, but it was certainly long abandoned, which was both good and bad. It was good because they would not be arrested by Atlas military guards, but bad because the chances of finding supplies were much lower.

Besides the hangars, there was nothing else to see than trees, along with an unremarkable mountain, likely a volcano, in the distance. Whatever this island was, or used to be, Neo and Cinder were likely the only people on it.

A warm breeze blew through, which felt nice after so much time being spent on the cold ship. It felt good to stand on solid ground, even if the concrete was a little rough on Neo's socked feet. She looked back at the ship, remembering the problem with the fuel tank. She walked around to the other side of the airship, the side in the shade, and gingerly took a knee to look underneath it.

As if it could not have been anymore obvious, drops of liquefied Dust seeped from between two wooden boards of the Mistrali vessel. Neo sighed, knowing she's have to get inside the hull of this ship to figure out how to fix it. She would have to get back inside and put her clothes back on, then try to find some tools.

Neo certainly didn't envy what Cinder had gone through just moments ago, but she did envy the fact that she was getting a nap, while Neo was going to be outside, trying to repair an airship with very little in the way of mechanical experience. At least it was nice outside, though it was getting a little hot.

* * *

The light shining through the windshield of the ship was enough to finally rouse Cinder from her sleep. She groaned, putting her hand to her forehead, beginning to feel severe soreness set in. She suddenly remembered what had happened, landing the airship using her Maiden powers alone. She sighed and shook her head and as stared at the ceiling. She had never pushed herself so far with her powers, and now that she had, well...she didn't want to even think about setting something on fire.

She then noticed that her whole body was soaked with sweat, and she shivered from the chilling feeling that surround her. She rolled onto her side for a moment, exposing her back to the cool air and sending another shiver pulsing through her body. She then began to push herself up, groaning as her muscles protested, but she soon got to her feet, wobbling for a moment before she righted herself. Her head ached, especially from the head rush brought on by standing up, but she began to clear her mind enough to ask: where was Neo?

She noticed the open door leading outside, and she made her way in that direction. She barely fit through the opening, and once she hopped to the ground below, she noticed Neo's legs protruding from beneath the ship. "Neo?" Cinder mumbled.

Neo flinched, then hurried to get out from underneath the ship and stood up. She now wore her white jeans and boots, but chose to remain bra-clad from the waist up. Neo reached out to Cinder, putting a hand on her shoulder. She raised her eyebrows and asked "OK?", to which Cinder nodded in reply.

"I'm fine. Hurting, but fine." Cinder then took a moment to look around. "Where are we?"

Neo pointed in the direction to the dilapidated hangars, and Cinder turned toward them and nodded. "Abandoned airfield," she chuckled. "Convenient."

Neo huffed and shrugged. "We need more fuel," she signed.

Cinder looked at Neo for a moment, then at the airship, which was missing a few wooden boards, allowing the inner workings to be exposed. "Did you fix the problem?"

Neo nodded, leaning down and picking up a roll of black repair tape.

Cinder grimaced. "Your repair job was to tape over it?"

Neo nodded, motioning with her free hand at the roll of tape as if to say it was once much bigger, but she used so much to repair the fuel line, it's bound to not break again.

Cinder sighed. "Well, I guess that's the best we can do. Thank..." her voice trailed off for a moment, then she shook her head as if to clear it. "Thank you, Neo."

Neo nodded, looking to the side for a moment, then back up at Cinder. She waved for her to come closer.

Cinder knitted her eyebrows, but complied and stepped forward.

Neo rose onto her toes, trying to get as close to Cinder's ear as possible. Then, she whispered to her, very quietly. "Thank you for saving me."

Cinder flinched. "I thought you couldn't speak."

"I can whisper. It just hurts," Neo explained, then leaned away and signed what she had just said. "Thank you. You saved my life."

Cinder inhaled and sighed, nodding. "It was necessary to our survival."

Neo rolled her eyes, then waved her hand toward the door to the airship. "Go get dressed," she signed.

Cinder shrugged her shoulders. "What?"

Neo tugged on her jeans, then pointed at Cinder's lower body. Cinder scoffed and shook her head. "I'm soaked in sweat. I'm not putting anything on except my boots."

Neo shrugged, turning back to the ship so she could return the wooden boards to their rightful place. Meanwhile, Cinder reentered the ship to put her boots on. It felt awkward to not be wearing her top or shawl, but better to not ruin her only outfit.

When Cinder re-emerged from the ship, Neo stood ready to journey towards the hangars. "Need to cool off?" She asked.

Cinder shook her head. "Neo, stop signing to me like I understand."

Neo gritted her teeth and signed rapidly and sharply. "I'm sorry, I'm worried about you and I want you to feel better. You're in obvious pain and that worries me."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Let's just go," she murmured and began walking.

Neo sighed, knowing she didn't understand, but still wishing she could have. Neo followed her along, figuring she'd show Cinder what she had found the first time she had trekked to the hangars once they got there.

* * *

They arrived at the hangars, but Neo motioned for Cinder to continue to follow her. Cinder hummed in confusion as they walked between two of the hangars toward the nearby woods. "What?" She asked. "What's this way?"

"Wait and see," Neo signed, turning and beginning to walk over the grass toward the trees.

Cinder sighed and followed. "I thought we needed fuel."

Neo shot a look back at her, waving her arm as if to tell her to calm down. Cinder was about to protest, but she faltered after beginning to hear a noise in the distance ahead of them. It was a constant, light sound...running water. A river.

Just beyond a layer of trees was a flowing river. The water was moving rapidly along the five-feet-wide creek. The two women stood by it for a moment, only for Neo to wave at Cinder to follow her. They then began to make their way downstream.

"It is...beautiful," Cinder admitted. "Is this why you wanted to show me this?"

Neo pointed ahead as if to answer her. Cinder followed Neo's finger to see not far away...a wooden dock, jutting out into a large, glistening lake.

"What about the lake?" Cinder asked.

Neo scoffed and took Cinder's hand, pulling her along as they continued to advance toward the dock.

"Neo, this hike has been nice and everything, but shouldn't we be getting—"

Neo halted suddenly and turned to face her. Their eyes met, and Neo stared up at her for a good few seconds, then smirked and poked her in the nose.

"What...was that for?" Cinder asked, rubbing where Neo had poked her.

Neo chose to mouth her response, without whispering. _"Relax. Let's go swimming."_

Cinder furrowed her brow as Neo turned away and continued to walk. "Swimming? Of all things?"

Neo turned again, reached out to Cinder's human arm, and ran her finger along it for a moment, picking up a bit of the sweat left over from Cinder's struggle to land their ship. Neo held said finger up, then shrugged, trying to communicate that if Cinder wanted to get all the sweat she had been complaining about off, this was her chance.

Cinder opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it out of uncertainty. A few more steps and they would reach the dock. "Yes, I'll admit it does sound like a nice idea to swim to cool off, but these are my only...undergarments..."

Neo stepped out into the dock and began to take off her boots. She looked at Cinder when she stopped speaking, noticing how Cinder slowly began to realize what would be required if she didn't want to get her "only undergarments" wet. It was both funny, and unsurprising.

"Neo...are you proposing what I think you're proposing?" Cinder asked.

Neo pulled one leg from its boot and began to take off the other. She nodded at Cinder, then slipped her other boot off. She stood up straight again and walked over to Cinder, waving for her to lean forward again. Cinder did so, allowing Neo to whisper to her again. "Let go. Have fun."

Cinder pursed her lips as Neo nodded with confidence, stepping back and undoing the buttons on her jeans. Cinder sighed, embarrassed to feel so flustered. She rubbed her temples and cleared her throat. "I don't know about this, Neo. What you're proposing is very indecent."

Neo gestured her arms widely at their surroundings, inviting Cinder to realize that they were as alone as they could possibly be. Who cared what was and wasn't decent?

Cinder nodded, looking to the side. "I get it," she sighed, crossing her arms. If she was being honest with herself, she really did want to take a swim in this lake. It was clear, looked clean, and she desperately wanted to get the gross feeling of lingering sweat off her body. The only factor keeping her uncertain was Neo's presence.

Neo pushed off her white jeans and folded them. She placed them on top of her boots and then gestured to Cinder. Neo now only had her bra and panties on. She apparently was waiting for Cinder to match her.

Cinder groaned. "This isn't a game. If you want to swim, go ahead. I'll join if I decide to."

Neo grimaced, but nodded. She mouthed what she had whispered before, _"let go, have fun," _then reached behind her back to undo her bra. She turned her back to Cinder as she unclipped it and removed it, tossing the bra over to join the rest of her cast aside articles of clothing.

Cinder did not allow her gaze to linger on Neo's bare back for long, instead looking down and allowing her mind to race. The only reason not to do this would be because...she wouldn't want Neo to see her naked, which was a childish reason. She had already allowed Neo to see her scars and Grimm arm. Breasts and buttocks simply weren't comparable to that.

Speaking of which, still with her back to Cinder, Neo pushed down her underwear, kicked them over to the pile, then made her way to the edge of the dock. Cinder lost her better sense and did not look away, watching as Neo reached the end of the dock and sat down on it, allowing her legs to enter the water to test its temperature. Neo seemed so content and unbothered by Cinder's presence, as if...

_Let go, have fun. _

Cinder sighed and nodded, finally getting it. Now was her first opportunity in forever to forget about everything, about being Fall Maiden, about Ruby Rose, about Salem. Here she was, alone on the shore of a beautiful lake, with a beautiful young woman there to make her feel more human.

Cinder smiled, because she felt happy. Genuinely happy. Perhaps for the first time in years.

She didn't think about her scars or her arm as she pulled her top off over her head. She didn't stop to think about her missing eye as she leaned down to take off her boots. She didn't linger in the thoughts of vengeance and greed that normally occupied her mind as she pushed her shorts and underwear down. For once, she wanted to be happy. And she was.

Cinder walked onto the dock, her footsteps causing the wooden planks to creek underneath her.

Neo smiled when she heard Cinder coming.

Cinder sat down next to Neo, the faint coolness of the wood beneath her matched only by the cool water she dipped her legs into. She exhaled through her nose and turned to look at Neo, who was grinning at her. "What?" Cinder asked, humorously.

Neo chuckled and whispered, "Glad you joined."

Cinder winced. "You said it hurts to whisper. You shouldn't—"

"Shhh," Neo hissed, then smiled again. "I'm fine. I want to whisper."

Cinder stared at her face for a moment, then nodded and looked out at the lake, kicking her legs beneath her to further get used to its coolness. "I never pictured myself doing something like this."

Neo nodded, sparing a look down at Cinder's body before looking out at the vast lake before them as well. "I'm glad I could help."

Cinder scoffed. "You're taking credit for this?"

"I found the lake," Neo whispered, but her voice suddenly squeaked one the word _lake, _and her hand went straight to her throat as she winced.

Cinder sighed. "Neo..."

Neo held a hand up and shook her head, then waved her hand to indicate she was fine.

The brunette looked at her, then to the side. "Hey. Thank you."

Neo looked at her and smiled. She signed "thank you" back to her.

Cinder replicated Neo's sign. "That means 'thank you?'"

Neo nodded, still smiling. "Thank you," she signed again.

Cinder signed back with a chuckle, "Thank you."

They sat next to each other for a few more minutes, Cinder enjoying the surreal, yet freeing feeling. The fact that she was sat outdoors, nude and next to an equally nude woman was somehow not resonating with her very much. She felt...lighter, somehow. Comfortable.

Neo nudged her, and when Cinder turned to look at her, she received a splash of water to the face. Cinder exclaimed in surprise as Neo silently laughed at her. Cinder rubbed the water from her eyes, then opened them to see a beaming Neo, winking at her.

Cinder laughed. "Oh, we're doing this now?" She asked, reach down and lifting a handful of water right back at Neo, who flinched in surprise as Cinder chuckled. Before Neo could retaliate, Cinder splashed her again, garnering more flustered attempts at defense from the smaller woman as the taller one continued to laugh.

Suddenly, as if to get her ultimate revenge, Neo turned and shoved Cinder's shoulder, sending her into the water. Cinder yelled as she slipped off the dock and into the water. She found her footing on the rocky floor under the water, and she stood up to get her head back above the surface. She pushed her hair out of her face to see Neo laughing so hard she couldn't even open her eyes. Cinder laughed along with her, only to step forward enough to grab Neo's wrist and pull her. Neo gasped as Cinder heaved her into the water, disappearing into the water with a splash. When she resurfaced, she shot Cinder her best grumpy expression, but couldn't keep from laughing for long.

The water felt fantastic, especially for Cinder, now that her body could get a proper cool-down after the ordeal she experienced landing their ship. After getting used to the cool temperature, she allowed her body to float, enjoying the rare feeling of weightlessness, her muscles relaxing as she drifted aimlessly. This was a level of relaxation she had not experienced...well, ever, really. The cool water even felt nice on her scared left side.

Cinder could not help but feel like she had been missing out on this, for so long. She felt thankful to Neo for bringing her here.

Speaking of the pink-and-brown-haired girl, Neo came swimming up beside Cinder, doing a sort of backstroke to keep up with her. Cinder turned her head and smiled at Neo, then stopped floating and readjusted her position to stand on the lake floor once again. The water level was just high enough to conceal her chest when she stood. "Hey," Cinder said to Neo, who stopped swimming and began treading water to stay above the surface. "You were right. This does feel nice."

Neo nodded happily, then shoved some more water towards Cinder's face, splashing her. Cinder yelled in surprise, then beginning to laugh again as she returned the favor, pushing some water into Neo's face. "Are we here to relax or to play childish games?" Cinder asked jokingly.

"We're here to have fun," Neo signed, splashing her once again.

In a split-second idea, Cinder did not retaliate with another splash, but instead used her Maiden powers to push the water around magically. Neo looked around herself in confusion before suddenly being lifted into the air by a geyser of sorts. She gasped as she was thrown up over three meters into the air, her nude body flailing until coming back down to the water, splashing back-first. Cinder couldn't help but dissolve into laughter as Neo resurfaced and blew a raspberry at her.

"I think I win," Cinder chuckled.

Neo attempted to remain cross with her, but eventually gave into smiling again. The sight before her amazed Neo. Cinder was smiling, laughing, and enjoying herself. They were _skinny dipping _together, and Cinder had managed to let go and have fun, just as Neo had told her. Neo began to doubt what she had thought to herself the night before. She had told herself that she would never want to be in a long-term relationship with Cinder, but...after uncovering this side of her personality, a side capable of enjoyment and relaxation, Neo felt...like she was falling for her.

Cinder tilted her head to the side a bit. "Uhh, Neo. You okay?"

Neo hadn't realized she had been staring at her. She shook her head and smiled nervously, waving her hand as if to say it was nothing.

Cinder huffed a laugh and moved a bit closer to her. "If I'm being honest, I really needed this. So...thank you, again."

Neo nodded, looking Cinder in the eye, knowing she was being sincere.

Cinder looked down for a moment, then chuckled. "I...have the urge to hug you, but...that might be a bit awkward."

Neo felt herself blush, but she shook her head and waved her hands, inviting Cinder to come closer. Just because neither of them were wearing anything didn't mean this was inherently sexual. If it were, Neo would not have protested anyway, but this moment somehow felt more platonic than that; intimate in a friendly way. One thing Neo knew for certain was her desire to hug Cinder.

Cinder laughed, uncertain. "Really? Because...you know."

Neo shook her head, spreading her arms for Cinder. "H-hugs are good for you," she whispered.

Cinder gritted her teeth. "Stop speaking," she told her, then nodded. "And I suppose you're right." She stood there hesitantly for a moment, but just as she was about to step toward Neo, the shorter girl closed the distance and hugged her, putting her arms over Cinder's shoulders. Cinder encircled her back in return, making no effort to ignore the feeling of their torsos coming together. It felt as if a burst of energy had been released into both of them, but neither did anything other than smile at one another.

Of course, that could not last long, because even if Cinder was turning out to be a good friend, Neo wanted more from her than that. She looked at Cinder, looking into her eye, and smiled softly. "Kiss me," she whispered, so quietly she almost didn't make a noise at all.

Cinder didn't even hesitate. "Okay," she whispered back, and before Neo could react to her response, Cinder brought her a bit closer and fulfilled her request. They kissed, with Neo hanging onto Cinder's shoulders so she could stay above the water.

Unlike the night before, when they had lied together in bed and kissed for the sake of self indulgence, this kiss meant something. It meant something had changed. Cinder was different now, or better yet, she was _more_. The parts of her she had kept hidden away were now on full display just as her body was. Neo had helped her open up, and most importantly, let go. Now she held Neo in her arms, their bodies pressed together in the glistening lake under the morning sun, as their lips parted softly and slowly, their eyes opening as gradually as they parted.

Neo looked up at Cinder and grinned. Her cheeks were red. Both eyes had changed to a light pink. "I..." She began to whisper, but Cinder brought a hand up and put a finger to Neo's lips, silencing her.

"Don't hurt yourself again," Cinder told her. "Besides..." she smiled and pulled her a little closer. "I already know what you were going to say, and I agree. I...feel the same way about you...Neo."


	3. Cinder and Neo vs Ruby

_((Just as a warning: This one-shot is different than the others I have done in this series. This one features violence, trauma, and death, so if that's not something you need to see right now, just skip this one-shot._

Summary: Cinder and Neo have arrived in Atlas, and their quest to kill Ruby Rose has reached its end.

_With that being said, I hope you enjoy!))_

* * *

After months and months of waiting, traveling, _suffering_, the time had finally come.

Ever since the moment the moonlit Kingdom of Atlas emerged into view, Cinder had turned her focus completely within her own thoughts. _This is real. This is finally happening._ The revenge she had clamored after for so long was finally at hand. Somewhere, whether it in Mantle or, more likely, Atlas, Cinder and Neo would find Ruby Rose, and they would rid the world of one more pair of Silver Eyes.

Finding a place to land was simple. Using her illusion abilities, Neo had turned their Mistrali airship invisible, and as they flew closer to the city, no alarms were raised, and no calls on their radio came through. They simply flew right through Atlas airspace and landed in the forest near the outskirts of Mantle.

They stepped off the airship, standing side-by-side as they stared toward the industrial city of Mantle. Cinder smiled. "We finally made it." She looked over to Neo for her signed response, but instead, she found the girl shivering. "Right. Forgot it's cold in Atlas?"

Neo looked at her, a puff of her breath visible as she exhaled with annoyance. She signed, "And you aren't cold, how?" and then returned to covering her shoulders with her hands.

"I have a magical ability to make things spontaneously combust, as well as keep my body temperature normal," she reminded her, as if Neo need reminding that yes, Cinder was the Fall Maiden.

"Share with me?" Neo signed.

Cinder sighed and nodded. She took off her cloak and placed it on Neo's shoulders. "There."

Neo, surprised by just how warm the cloak was, pulled it tightly around herself. It was like the cloak itself was producing heat. It must have been Dust-infused. She quickly signed "thank you" before burying her nose in the fabric.

Cinder shook her head. "We're on a mission to kill someone and you insist on acting like a child?"

"I'm cold," Neo told her.

Cinder waved for her to follow as she began to move forward. "Let's just find out where we need to go. I have a contact here who can help us find the girl."

They entered Mantle and were both struck by how...desolate it seemed. Certain neighborhoods looked lively enough, with diners and shops here and there, but for the most part, it looked dilapidated. A majority of the buildings in Mantle were likely abandoned.

"Certainly no lack of places to hide here," Cinder commented to Neo.

Neo did not respond. Instead, they kept on their advance, ignoring passersby as they stared at them. They both were overdressed when compared to many of the people in Mantle, but they did not have to blend in. Right now, their goal was to meet with Cinder's "contact," whoever that might have been.

* * *

The contact, to Neo's surprise, was a White Fang member.

On a seemingly random street corner in Mantle, a person in a Grimm mask stood with their back against a wall. Their hood was up, their hands were gloved, every inch of their body was concealed. Even if Neo tried to look closely, she could not determine anything about this person, their gender, their hair or skin tone, nothing. They certainly weren't one for having fun with disguises. But it was effective.

Cinder walked right up to them, and even as she told the person her name and that she was the one who requested info on all incoming airships to Atlas, the person made no sound or movement, except extend a hand.

Neo stared at the outstretched hand, for no other reason except it was the first movement this person had actually made. Cinder reached into her pocket and produced a small envelope, no doubt filled with Lien. She placed it upon the hand, and in a split-second movement, the person pocketed the envelop, produced a folded piece of paper with the other hand, dropped it in front of Cinder, and then ran, jumping a nearby fence, gone.

Neo stared at the fence for a moment as Cinder leaned down to pick up the note. She stood back up and chuckled, though she sounded more annoyed than anything. "The White Fang and their notorious hospitality."

Neo wanted to ask something, but she wasn't sure what. All she knew was she was confused by...whoever that was.

Cinder unfolded the note, and laughed. "Perfect."

Neo looked at the note to see a simple message:

"_North Atlas - Winter Schnee"_

Cinder folded and put the note away. She then turned toward Neo and nodded. "Now we know where to find her."

* * *

It isn't easy to gain entry to Atlas from Mantle. Luckily for Cinder and Neo, Cinder could just fly up to the floating city.

Not far from the port of entry where airships took certified passengers two and from Atlas, Neo and Cinder stood just beyond the metal fence which surrounded the tethers keeping the floating city moored to the ground. The underside of Atlas was covered in layers of Gravity Dust miles thick, glittering in the moonlight. Travel between Atlas and Mantle was prohibited this late at night, so there was not as much personnel on the premises, which would only make Cinder and Neo's journey up that much easier.

Cinder took a knee and instructed Neo to hang onto her back. Neo did so, and Cinder stood back up, once again reminded of just how light Neo was. Cinder felt how cold Neo's arms were as she wrapped them around her neck, despite lending her the cloak. Before Cinder took off, she used her Maiden Powers to raise her own external temperature, hoping to warm Neo a bit more. "Are you ready?" Cinder asked.

Neo noticed that Cinder was warming her, and she smiled. Even though they were, in Cinder's words, on a mission to kill someone, Cinder was still allowing a tiny bit of her softer side through. In hindsight, when she compared what they had done during their journey to Atlas, Neo felt almost blindsided by the reminder that, yeah, the entire reason this journey was happening was because they were after Ruby Rose, whom Neo still was pissed at for killing Roman. But the sheer contrast between this mission, and the moments they had shared together on the abandoned island just a few days ago, was stark. Neo still had not yet fully absorbed exactly what was about to happen.

But she knew, right now, that this was what she wanted.

Cinder took a few seconds to focus, and soon, they were airborne.

Flames shot from Cinder's hands as they ascended toward Atlas, and as they grew closer, it began to feel more real for Neo.

She was beginning to have second thoughts.

What would Neo gain from killing Ruby? She did kill Roman. If Ruby were dead, it would feel good for a while, but then what? Roman was gone, and Neo wasn't going to bring him back by avenging him.

Cinder, however, had an even more obvious reason to want Ruby dead. The girl had scarred her, half-blinded her, and made her have to have an arm replaced with that of a Grimm. And judging by how much Cinder talked about this very moment, Neo knew that if they managed to kill Ruby Rose, Cinder would achieve some measure of peace.

There. That was Neo's reason to move forward with this. Cinder needed closure, and Neo would do what she could to ensure that for her. Maybe then, they could move forward to better things, together.

They soon emerged past the edge of the floating city of Atlas, and the contrast to what was below in Mantle was instantly recognizable. The city was more brightly lit, much cleaner, and in every way Mantle's opposite. There were also far more people out and about, enjoying the city's sophisticated nightlife or relaxing after a day of work. This could pose either challenges or advantages for Neo and Cinder. Or both. For one, they were certainly dressed for a night out in Atlas, so they would have no difficulty blending in, but then again, if they planned to find and kill Ruby Rose, they did not want to attract any attention.

They made their way into the streets, glad to know just appearing at the edge of the city hadn't attracted anyone's attention. Neo followed Cinder's lead, assuming she knew where she was going. Neo was familiar with Winter Schnee enough to know she was a military type who was also the daughter of Jacques Schnee himself, but she had no idea where she lived. Cinder, on the other, didn't just seem to know, she was completely certain.

They were heading to the northern part of the city, as the White Fang militant's note instructed, which was roughly where Atlas Academy and the Schnee Manor was located—likely the most heavily monitored region of the city. Neo knew Cinder was a stealth expert, and Neo herself was no slouch either, but even she was a bit apprehensive. In this situation they were getting themselves into, a lot could go wrong, and there was only one way for it to go right.

Neo realized they needed to develop a plan.

She ran up to Cinder's side and got her attention. She signed to her, asking what their plan was.

Cinder repeated back the sign for "plan." "Plan?" Cinder asked.

Neo nodded, glad to see Cinder was still making an effort to pick up some signs.

Cinder nodded in return and looked ahead once again. "Well, now that we know that she's at Winter Schnee's residence, our first goal will be to lure her outside. Breaking in would be far too risky."

Neo nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was to set off some alarm before they had even gotten a glimpse of the Silver-Eyed girl.

"And once she's outside, hopefully alone, we will try to take her quickly." Her eye light up. "That's it. I know exactly what to do to lure her outside."

Neo stared at her, awaiting her idea.

Cinder looked down at her and smiled. "It involves your illusions. A disguise, specifically."

Neo nodded, liking where this was going. Even if she was nervous about this mission, relying on a disguise made her feel a bit more confident.

"Remember the robot girl from the Vytal Tournament?"

Neo instantly knew where Cinder was going with this, and she knew it would work. Neo was nodding before she even knew she wanted to agree.

"From what I know," Cinder continued, "Ruby was very close to her. I think if she saw you standing outside her window, she wouldn't believe her eyes, but would come outside, alone, just to check," Cinder chuckled to herself. "Oh, I can already picture her reaction when she realizes the truth."

Neo knew this was a great plan, but she had just one concern. How would they get Ruby's attention? It wasn't like Neo could talk, let alone impress on the robot girl's voice.

Cinder, thankfully, was thinking ahead of her. "It won't take much, I'm sure, to get her attention. Really all we'll have to do is locate her, do something to wake her, and get her to look out her window." She looked at Neo. "And then, while she's distracted with you, I'll go for the easy kill. She may realize what's going on, but it wouldn't hurt to try for the easy victory."

Neo shot her a thumbs up, liking this plan more and more by the second. Her biggest concern was alerting anyone else while they tried to carry out their plan, and this plan at least had a good chance of ending things quickly and quietly.

"So…" Cinder murmured, glancing at Neo. " Sounds like a plan?"

Neo nodded, smirking for good measure. Cinder's intelligent scheming was, in an odd way, kind of sexy.

"Before we do it, though," Cinder said. "We should rehearse it."

* * *

With Cinder's help, Neo was able to craft a perfect illusion to bait Ruby. Utilizing photos of the robot girl, Penny, on Cinder's Scroll, combined with a little creativity on Neo's part, Neo was able to assume the visage of the deceased contraption, except with some tattered clothing and messed up hair to hopefully really concern Ruby, and thus distract her even moreso.

And now, the time had come to execute their plan.

Winter Schnee's home was a two story house a blessed ways away from Schnee Manor and the Academy. It was surrounded by metal fences topped with spikes, with foliage alongside the fence. There was a yard of stone and concrete directly surrounding the house, upon which Neo would soon assume her position as Penny Polendina, as soon as Cinder determined which window led to the girl's sleeping quarters.

Along the back of the house, there were four windows across on each floor; eight windows total. While Neo waited among the bushes near the fence, Cinder used her Maiden Powers to quietly manipulate the air around her to hover from window-to-window, looking into each to try and spot the girl.

By now, things had fully set in for Neo, and thankfully, she felt completely content with what was about to happen, mainly because of the thought she had before about giving Cinder her well-deserved closure. This was less about revenge and now more about helping Cinder. If doing away with the girl who hurt her was what was necessary, Neo would do it.

Cinder, apparently having determined the right window, returned to Neo's side. She was smiling, seeming almost gleeful to finally have this opportunity. "The second floor window furthest to the right," she told her. "That's where she is. She's asleep, alone."

Neo nodded, staring at said window, and then trailing her eyes down toward the ground outside it. She figured she would assume her position about ten meters from the house, directly in front of the window.

"Are you ready?" Cinder asked her.

Neo smiled at her, and they looked at one another for a moment. Cinder nodded and headed back toward the house to wake Ruby as Neo headed to her spot and put on her illusion disguise.

The rapier usually stowed in her parasol's handle was tucked under her belt and invisible through her disguise. She would use it if she had to, but as their plan stipulated, Cinder would get the first shot.

Neo, now looking exactly like Penny Polendina, dropped to her knees and looked up at the window. Meanwhile, Cinder hovered back up toward it. They exchanged one last look and a mutual nod, and then Cinder knocked on the window three times. She then quickly returned to the ground and hid around the nearby corner of the house, out of view of the window.

Neo looked back up and could see movement inside the room. The low moonlight shone through the window just enough for Neo to make out a shadow, and a second later, she saw her. A pajama-clad Ruby Rose had her face pressed up against to window, looking out.

Then she saw Neo. Or rather, she saw Penny.

Neo put on her best scared facial expression, and she saw Ruby Rose's expression warp from confusion to panicked disbelief. The girl covered her mouth with her hands, taking a couple steps away from the window, then stepped back up to it, staring out at the girl on her knees outside her room.

Neo began to breathe heavier in an effort to communicate to Ruby that she was scared and desperate, and it seemed that did the trick.

It seemed Ruby considered going to find someone to come with her, but she thankfully opted to opened the window and come straight to Neo. Once the window was open, she jumped through the opening, landing on the ground safely.

"Penny…" she murmured and ran to her. "Oh gods, oh gods," She neared Neo and slid to her knees in front of her, then immediately capturing her in a hug. "Oh gods, it's you. It's you." She began to cry. "Penny…"

Neo hugged her back, getting a chance to look toward Cinder over Ruby's shoulder. Cinder now held a fiery red sword in her hand.

"What...how?" Ruby asked her, releasing the hug and holding Neo by the face. "Penny...oh, Penny, you're here. I…" She choked on her breath. "I never thought I…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Neo saw Cinder slowly begin to approach, but she nodded along to Ruby's words, taking notice of the pure emotion in this girl's face.

What a feeling it must have been for her to see a dead loved one right in front of her.

"Penny," Ruby was crying profusely now, tears streaming down her cheeks like rain. "I...I don't know if I'm dreaming or…"

Cinder was getting closer, but moving slower and quieter as she neared.

Neo shook her head at Ruby, telling her she wasn't dreaming.

Ruby sobbed, holding Neo's face a bit tighter. "Penny, if this is real or not, I don't care, I love you. I never got to say it to you, so I'm saying it now, I love you. You're my best friend, Penny, right?"

Neo nodded, feeling at least a little affected by Ruby's behavior. A tiny shred of empathy was feeling for her. Of course, the rest of her wanted this to end.

Right?

"I'll get you inside," Ruby said, her tears glittering in the moonlight like her fabled irises. "Okay? I'll repair you, I'll be here for you, always, okay?"

Neo nodded again.

Cinder was within striking distance.

"Penny? Say something...wait."

Neo knew she had made a mistake. The moment her eyes flicked to the side for just a second, she knew their plan was shot.

Ruby's eyes shot open wide, and she turned to see Cinder, sword at the ready, preparing to thrust toward her.

Cinder knew then that Plan A had failed, but that didn't stop her from going for the kill.

Ruby yelled and rolled out of the way, just avoiding the sword. "Cinder…" she grunted as she began to get to her feet, only to turn and see…

Cinder's sword had gone straight through Penny's neck.

"No…" Ruby breathed. "Penny…"

"No…" Cinder whispered. She was frozen in shock, staring at where her sword had gone into…

"No!" Ruby yelled, and Cinder began to feel an all too familiar burning sensation grow and intensify along her left side.

Cinder, still in shock, could do nothing but look to the side as Ruby Rose's eyes began to gleam with power. "Please…" Cinder huffed. "Don't…"

"Damn it, Penny no!" Ruby screamed, her voice mixing with sobs and gasps. "I hate you!"

The burning in her arms was beginning to become excruciating. Was Ruby...purposefully making her suffer slowly? No, whatever it took, Cinder wanted it to end. "Just kill me," she wheezed as it grew almost impossible to breathe.

Ruby clenched her fists as the silver light in her eyes began to surround Cinder. She screamed at her as Cinder's heart felt like it would soon catch fire.

The final, deadly wave of silver light was imminent.

From behind, Neo stabbed Ruby though the chest.

The light disappeared as Ruby gasped violently. She looked down toward her body and saw a thin metal blade protruding from her chest, then toward where the visage of Penny once was, only to find Cinder's sword on the ground.

Cinder collapsed in agony, groaning loudly as she tried to raise herself to all fours, but when she turned her head, she saw a sight that filled her with relief.

Neo pulled the sword from Ruby's body, sending the girl to her knees. Neo and Cinder watched as Ruby put her hands to her chest, covering her wound. The shock hadn't worn off yet, but it was evident in her eyes that Ruby realized what had happened.

Neo came around and knelt in front of Ruby. Ruby looked at her, but her expression did not change, eyes wide, mouth agape. Neo put her hands on Ruby's shoulders and gently guided her to the ground, lying Ruby on her back. Neo leaned down, getting close to her ear, and whispered:

"Be with your friends."

Neo stood back up in time to see Ruby close her eyes, her hands going lax over her impaled heart.

Ruby Rose was dead.

Neo came over to Cinder's side and rolled her onto her back to see her sobbing, just as Ruby had been. Cinder looked up at Neo, and she gritted her teeth and shook her head. "I...I'm sorry…"

Neo leaned down and hugged her, then sat back up and signed, "We need to get out of here."

"I…" Cinder croaked, her voice raspy and almost broken. "Can't move."

Neo, summoning every last bit of strength she could muster, fueling herself with desperation to get them away from the scene of the murder, hooked her arms beneath Cinder's knees and back. With a blinding rush of adrenaline, Neo lifted Cinder into her arms, and she began to carry her toward the fence. She heard noises coming from the house, which only served to motivate Neo even further. She put Cinder on her shoulders and began climbing the fence, her arms and legs burning but not halting. They avoided the spikes atop the fence, and they were soon on the run, Neo moving as fast as she could as she carried Cinder's limp body.

"I love you," Neo heard Cinder whisper, sounding like sandpaper on stone.

Neo kissed her forehead as she continued running, and though she knew she was running out of energy, she promised herself at that moment that she wouldn't stop until they found safety. She wouldn't stop until they were back on their airship, in the air, in bed, in each other's arms.

_To Be Continued..._


End file.
